The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-25
YESTERDAYS SECOND EDITION.
THE following items of news appeared in our
Second Edition of Sunday:


The New York Tribune's Pension Circular.
New YORK, April 23-In regard to the contro-
versy which has arisen about its circular to the
Grand Army posts in the country, asking for ex-
pressions of opinion on the dependent pensions
bill, the Tribune will say editorially tomorrow:
''Now that the battle the Tribunes
modest. tranquil and successful endeavor to OBJ
tain from the veterans of the Grand Army their
individual opinions on the subject of pension
legislation has spread over the country, 1t is we'll
:oinquirs in the interest of peace and good fellow
Ship who the antagonists 1t is easy to dis
tneuish the leaders on one side. They are those
devoted friends and close confdants of the
soldiers, who, in their worship OF reform In
general and the present administration in par
ticular, were lately proclaiming that
the soldiers themselves despsed the
dependent pensions bill and rejoced
in the Veto They are naturally unwilling
that their prophetic tenderness should lose its
delicate bloom by being subjected to any rude
and unhallowed test, and they are all up in
arms, from Alaska to the Dry Tortugas, and the
battle wages fierce and hot. But whom are they
ightingl Certainly not the Tribune. We are
mere spectators, looking with interest and
amusement, and waiting quietly for the smoke
to lift, so that we can see who has been killed.
Moreover the soldiers themselves are taking no
hand in the conflict but are sending in their re-
plies to questions fast as can con-
venienty take care of them. 1t is plain enough
to see whom the reformers suppose their enemy
to be- They are. one and all, abb
that man Blaine Any movement
which is likely to elicit an expression
of the popular will on any subject must, In the
very nature of things, be movement in his IN
terest, to be headed off by them at any cost.
This accounts for the fury and the wind, and If.
perchance. when this cruel war is over, it should
be found that the casualties are all among them
selves, it would account for that also. And yet
they are objects of pity as we'll as of contempt.
They scarcely realize that they are lunatlcs.
They have dim idea that they are keeping their
rudder true. The Tribune. we have said. oc
cupies the position of a cheerful, dlsinterested
and magnanimous spectator; but IL is a fact that
we had some share in the preliminaries and for
the sake of historical truth we don't
mind telling again just what that share was. So
many people had been rising up to proclaim vo-
ciferously the views of the soldiers about PEN
sions that it seemed to US worth while to take
the trouble of ascertaining what their views act
ually were, and. in accordance with our practice
in such cases, we perpetrated the enormity OF
going straight to headquarters. The command
er-in-chief of the Grand Army, in referring to
his general order No. IL, instructing the mem
bers to answer no questions, and to the decision
of the executive committee Of the council sus-
tanning that order, is reported to have said that
he knew nothing of the Tribunes efforts or de-
sires.' 1t was cruel thing to thus misrepresent
gallant and MANNED veteran like General Fair
| child. We possess the best posi- BILE proof that
| he cannot have said any such thing, for when we
| had determined to get the individual opinion of
| the soldiers under discussion we wrote directly
to General Fairchild for list of the Grand
| Army posts and for frank expression of his
own views about pensions. To this letter we
received, through his adjutant-general, E. B.
| Gray, prompt and cordial reply, saying that
| such list as was essential to our purpose
| could be furnished from headquarters for
! the sum of $25. This was entirely satisfactory,
| and, having received the list. and an authentic
| statement of General Fairchds hearty support
of the most liberal system of pension legislation,
| We forwarded check for the stipulated sum.
and thus concluded the preliminary stage of the
| inquiry Our circular request for similar ex-
| preston from the rank and file followed in due
course. And we take this opportunity to thank
| the members of the Grand Army for their
prompt responses to our questions. These
| loyal and unsel6sh citizens initial
| ing the courtesy Of their commander
in-chief by frank avowal of their
personal and individual views, without the least
fear of being misrepresented by the Tribune but
vastly amused at the antics of their volunteer
| mouthpeces. They understand perfectly that
| the Tribune does not want partisan utterance
or an official pronunciamento. and they share
our conviction that the country, having been
forced to hear the the profe ssional rawlings from
the reform tripod, would gladly listen to the
| soldiers views from tn. Soldiers iine ~